Apparatus for forming storage-battery separators.



H. L. BOYER.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING STORAGE BATTERY SEPARATORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. [9|].

Patented Mar. 18, 1919,

H. L. BUYER. APPARATUS FOR FORMING STORAGE BATTERY SEPARATORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 191]- Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 my 1. scrim, or neuron, NEW mizsmr, nssrenon mo JOSEPHsmoxns RUBBER comrm, or TRENTON, new Jersey, a conrom'uon or new JEBSEE.

i mamas r02. resume s'ronaen-immnn serum-Tons To all whom it may concern-.1

-Be it known that I, HARRY L. Boyer, a citizen of the United States,residing at Trenton, in thecounty of Mercer andState of New Jersey, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for FormingStorage-Battery Separators, of

which the following is a full,- clear, and exact description.-

This invention relates to apparatus for forming storage batteryseparators and has for its object the provision of an apparatus by whichseparators are ribbed and vulcanized efii'ciently and in a continuousmanner. A further. object is to provide an apparatus 'by whichseparators are produced havinggreater life and greater mechanicalstrength than the separators generally employed prior to this lnvention.v

The present inventlon comprlses a vulcanizing chamber provided with twoopposing endless chains of connected bloclrs which receive between themthe separator plates which are adapted to be supplied cont-inuouslytothe vulcanizer and which convey the plates through the vulcanizer andalso form the ribs in the same.

' be formed in the plates solely by the molding. action of'the blocks ofthe two chains, in which event the faces of the blocks will be suitablygrooved and ribbed, or theribs may be formed wholly or partially by ribforming material which is pressed onto or into the plates by the blocksof the chains. Preferably, however, the ribs are formed on both sides ofeach separator by rib forming material in the form of rubber coatedfibrous cords which are fed continuously tothe vulcanizing chamber inparallel rows simultaneously with the feeding of the plates, and areattached to one side ofthe plates before they pass between the opposingblocks of the two traveling chains, and then- The ribs may SpecificationLetters 1 mm. Pat nte 13, 1919, Application filed May .5, 1917. 3 Serialin. 166,727.

I The invention may be further briefly s umma rmed as consisting incertain novel de'-.

tails of construction and combinations and" arrangements of parts whichwill be described in the specification and set forth in the appendedclain'is.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through theapparatus; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, this section beingtaken between the endless chains; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view;Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing portions of the two rib formmg andconveying chains, and showing-how the cords are pressed into the platesto form the ribs; and Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are sectlonal views throughdifl'erenttypes of separators which may be formed by slightly modifiedforms of the apparatus.

The apparatus formed 1n accordance with the present invention includes avulcani'zing chamber 10 which may be heated in any suitable manner, butis preferably steam heated, the Walls of the chamber in this case beinghollow for the circulation of steam. Supported in the central lower partof the chamber is an endless chain 11 composed of a series of pivotallyconnected conveying and rib forming blocks 11, having removableouterfaces preferably provided with longitudinal grooves 11", the numberof which will depend on the number ofribs'which are to be provided onthe finished separator. These blocks '11. are connected together bybolts 11 which are surrounded by rollers 11". This chain travels abouttwosprocket wheels 12 and 13 supported on transverse shafts 14.- and 15,the former of which may serve as a driving shaft, these sprocket wheels12 and 13 being provided with peripheral notches which are engaged byvthe rollers 11 to form the driving engagement between the sprockets andthe chain.

Extending longitudinally of the chamber, beneath the upper portion ofthe chain 11 are horizontal rails 16 which are vengaged by the rollers11 so that the blocks of the chain in their passage through the majorportion of the length of the chamber will travel in a straight line andin substantially rigid formation. These rails 16 are preferably on theupper surface of a hollow heated chamber from which heat radiates toassist in the vulcanization of the separators; I

chain 11 is somewhat shorter than the remainder, this portion beingclosed at its ends a by flexible flaps 17 which permit the ingress andegress of the plates, but at the same time do not allow much heat toescape. It should be observed that at the left end of the machine, asshown in Fig. 1, a portion of the chain 11 is open or exposed, thisportion 19 being composed of blocks 19 which are pivotally connectedtogether in the same manner as the blocks 11*, but are preferablyshorter than the latter so that smaller sprocket wheels 20 and 21 may beemployed, ,these sprocket wheels being mounted on transverse shafts, oneof which may be utilized as a drive shaft. The chain 19 cooperates withthe chain 11 to rib the separator plates, and tothat end the lowersection of the chain 19 is just above the upper section .of the lowerchain 11. The outer faces of the blocks 19, which faces are removableand interchangeable, are preferably provided with longitudinal grooves19 which in forming the preferred form of separator are equal in numberto, and register with the grooves of the contiguous blocks of the lowerchain as the blocks of the two chains travel in unison from left toright through the chamber.

As the opposing faces of the blocks of the two chains receive betweenthem the separator plates and also preferably the rib forming material,as for example in forming the preferred type of separator, and as thegrooves of the upper and lower blocks in such case cooperate to form theribs in the plates, it is essential that the blocks be held in absoluteregistration, and therefore one set of blocks is provided with asuitable form of centering means, which in this case consists of lugs 11which project outwardly from the blocks 11 and receive between them andcenter the blocks of the upper chain in the manner clearly shown inFigs. 1, 3 and 4.

WVhile an automatic feed of the separator plates can be provided ifdesired, as here shown, the plates which are formed wholly or partiallyof rubber, and a stack of which are shown at 22 on the receiving table18, will be placed by hand on the blocks 11 as they come up around thesprocket 12, so that the plates will be conveyed inwardly to a ointwhere the rib forming material (employed in making the preferred type ofseparator) is pressed onto the same, as will next be described, and thenbetween the blocks of the two chains which actually form the ribs.

Although with my invention in its broad aspects separators may be formedwith ribs or other uneven surfaces without requiring the use of separaterib forming material, as for example, when the ribs are formed solely bythe molding action of the blocks, nevertlheless, and as before stated,the preferred number of ribs to be formed in the plates, is-

supplied from one or a series of reels 26, and they pass in parallelrows. through a tank 27 containing rubber cement or rubber dissolved ina suitable solvent so that they become thoroughly covered or coated withunvulcanized rubber. Then the cords pass through dies 28 which wipe offthe excess rubber, then through a drying chamber 29,

then over a grooved drum 30 at the top of the chamber 29, thendownwardly and for' wardly over a similar grooved drum 31, and finallythey pass downwardly into the vulcanizing chamber to and around agrooved drum 32 havin peripheral grooves which are spaced precisely inaccordance with the desired spacing of the ribs of the separators. Thisdrum 32 is in front of the upper chain 19 and sufiiciently close to theblocks of the lower chain 11 which are traveling along the horizontalsupporting rails 16, that the rubber covered cords 25 are pressed by thedrum down onto and are thus attached to the separator plates 22 as thelatter are conveyed by the blocks under the drum 82. Shortly after theplates with the cords sticking thereto, pass the drum 32, they passunder the blocks 19 of the upper chain, and in so doing the cords enterthe grooves of the blocks 19*, which grooves are only about half thedepth of the cords. The blocks 19 which pass along with, and atprecisely the same speed as the blocks l1 are sufliciently heavy topress the cords down into the separator plates and to press the portionsof the latter beneath the cords down into the grooves of the blocks 11thus forming ribs on both sides of the plates, as clearly shown in Fig.5.

As the plates with the cords pressed into the same in the manner justexplained, pass along the vulcanizing chamber, the plates "that whenchamber they are hard, and the cords are are thoroughly vulcanized andthe cords are also thorou hly vulcalgized to the lates so 516 platesnally' pass cm the firmlymknitted thereto. The length of the chem r andthe speed of operation] of the chains are such that the plates and cordsare thoroughly vulcanized and vulcanized together when they emerge fromthe chamber.

The vulcanized separators pass from the chamber in a series connectedtogether by the cords which must be cut apart to sepa- Beyond thestripper rolls I providetrimmingrolls 37. and 38, between which theseparators ass, at least one of these rolls having cutting blades 39,which trim 013:" the sides of the separators. The stripping rolls may begeared'together so as'to rotate at the same speed but in oppositedirections, and the same is true of the trimming rolls.

To produce the best results it is desirable that the blocks,particularly the blocks of the lower chain be cleaned of foreign matterand particles of rubber, and I thereforeprovide at any suitable pointalong the bottom of the chamber, cleaning brushes 40 which,

wipe 03 the lower faces of the blocks 11.

-'Ihese brushes as here shown, are journaled in a chamber 41, which maybe provided with a soapy solution.

With this apparatus, very efiicient separators are produced as they havevery long life and mechanicalstrength, the particular ribbing materialwhich I employ increasing considerably the strength of the separators.Furthermore the ribs are not fragile as are ribs formedof rubber.Furthermore with this apparatus the separators are ribbed uniformly andat a rapld rate as the operation is carried on continuously.

The capacity of the machine can be made anything desired by increasingthe size or width of the blocks so that each block will accommodate aplurality of separators. As here shown, each block 11 receives but asingle separator, but if desired, it may be widened so as to accommodatetwo .or more than twoseparators. In the latter event it is onlynecessary to widen the entire apparatus including the chamber and bothchains and to supply to the vulcanizer in parallel rows a larger numberof rubber covered 6 there is shown at 43 in cross section a separatorwherein the ribs are formed on one side only by the rubber coveredcords. In making this separator the faces of the blocks of the upperchain will be grooved substantially as in making the separator of Fig.5, but the grooves will be somewhat a deeper than in making the latter.The upper blocks will press the cords down against the separator latesand: also press the latter down on t e'flat' faces of the lower blockcontinuously during the vulcanizing operation or while the plates arebeing conveyed toward the outlet end of the vulcanizer.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown separators- 44 and 45, the ribs of whichare molded from the separator plates by the cooperating action of theblocks of the two chains, separate rib forming material not beingrequifed. In forming separators of these types apparatus shown intheupper part of Fi 1 for rubberizing and supplying the rubber coatedcords will not be employed. To form the separator 44 of Fig. 7 theblocks of the lower chain will be provided with grooves as in the firstinstance, and the blocks of the upper chain will be provided with ribswhich register with the grooves so as to force the separator-plates downinto the grooves of the lower blocks and thus mold the ribs in theplates. To form the separator 45 shown in Fig. 8, the blocks of theupper and lower chains will be provided with grooves and ribs so that bythe molding action of the blocks the separator with ribs provided onboth sides, or of the corrugated type is produced. I

The faces of the. blocks are made removable for the purpose ofpermitting these various types of separators to be formed, as

well as to permit replacement in case the faces of the blocks becomebroken or worn from use.

From the above it will be obvious that the certain changes maybe made inthe details of the machine, as for example, to permit the production ofvarious types of separators, without departing from the principle of theinvention and without afi'ecting the operation of some of the mainfeatures thereof. Furthermore, other changes may be made in details ofconstructionor form and arrangements of parts, and I therefore aim in myclaims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure fromthe spirit and scope of my invention in its broadest aspects.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

,1. In an apparatus for ribbing storage battery separators, an endlesseonveyer on which separator plates are adapted to be placed, means forapplying rib forming material to said plates, and means movingwith saidconveyer for pressing the rib material onto said plates,

2. In an apparatus for ribbing storage battery separators, an endlessconveyer on which separator plates are adapted to be placed, means forapplying rib forming materialto said plates while on the conveyer, andmeans for embedding the rib material in the plates.

3. In an apparatus for ribbing storage battery separators, an endlessconveyer on which separator plates are adapted to be placed, means forapplying rib forming material to said plates on the conveyer, and meanstraveling with the conveyer for pressing the rib material into theplates.

4. In an apparatus for ribbing storage battery separator plates, anendless conveyer of grooved blocks on which separator plates are adaptedto be placed, means for supplying continuous strands of rib material tothe plates, and an endless chain of grooved blocks having a portionadjacent the conveying portion of the conveyer for pressing the ribmaterial into the plates and for pressing the latter into the grooves ofthe conveyer blocks.

5. In an apparatus for ribbing storage battery separator plates, anendless conveyer ofgrooved blocks on which separator plates are adaptedto be placed, means for supplying continuous strands of rib material tothe plates, an endless chain of grooved blocks having a portion adjacent the conveying portion of the conveyer for pressing the ribmaterial into the plates and for pressing the latter into the grooves ofthe conveyer blocks, and means for stripping the ribbed plate from theblocks.

grooved blocks on which separator plates are adapted to be placed, meansfor supplying continuous strands of rib material to the plates, anendless chain of grooved blocks having a portion ad] acent the conveyinportion of the conveyer for pressing the ri material into the plates andfor pressing the latter into the grooves of the conveyer blocks, andstripper rolls adjacent the discharge end of the'chamber.

7. In an apparatus for vulcanizing and ribbing storage batteryseparators, a vulcanizing chamber, an endless conveyer in the chambercomposed of. grooved blocks on which separator plates are adaptedto beplaced, means for supplying continuous strands of rib material to theplates on the conveyer, an endless chain of grooved blocks having aportion adjacent the conveyin portion of the conveyer for pressing theri material into the plates and for pressing the latter into. thegrooves of the conveyer blocks, and means for cleaning the blocks of theconveyer.

8. In an apparatus for vulcanizing and ribbing storage batteryseparators, a vulcanizing chamber, an endless conveyer in the chamberand adapted to receive separator plates, means for applying rib formingma terial to said plates on the conveyer, means moving ;with saidconveyer for pressing the rib material onto said plates, and means adjacent the discharge end of the conveyer for trimming the sides of theplates.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto ailix my signature.

HARRY L. BOYER.

